By Ashleigh Morris

Bafana Bafana out of the 2014 FIFA World Cup?
With a heartbreaking 2-1 loss for Bafana Bafana in their must win game against Ethiopia it was the 70th minute own goal by Bernard Parker that gave the Ethiopians the win they needed to finish top in group A.

However, it seems there might still be a chance for the boys to qualify for the 2014 FIFA world cup.

Ethiopia is now one of the three countries being investigated by FIFA for fielding ineligible players during their 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

Three matches are currently being scrutinised – Ethiopia’s 2-1 win, Toga’s victory over Cameroon and Equatorial win over the Cape Verde Islands.

According to FIFA protocol, if teams are found guilty of fielding an ineligible player the match result is overturned.

Boks win second Castle Lager Incoming Series test
Despite not being a true reflection of the game, the Springboks managed a 30-17 win over Scotland on Saturday.

Scotland had the upper hand up until the second half, with a 17-6 lead four minutes in.

A tight score line placed mounting pressure on the Boks, who only had a three point lead of 20-17, with six minutes until the final whistle.

In an exciting finish, it was Patrick Lambie who converted a penalty, allowing creating a six point difference. At the final whistle, Jan Serfontein managed to score, finishing the game for South Africa.

Protea’s through to Champions Trophy semi finals
Thanks to the rain, South Africa managed to tie with the West Indies in Cardiff on Friday, putting them in the semi finals.

Umpires Rod Tucker and Steve Davis decided the rain was too heavy to continue and took the players off the field, a critical move as it turned out.

The last ball of the match saw Kieron Pollard caught for 28 by Dale Steyn at third man off Ryan McLaren and his exit swung the match back to parity.

By David Mann

Exams will finally have come to a close, Fest will have kicked off and in between all the shows, productions, markets and general festivities, you’ll undoubtedly be looking for a good old-fashioned Grahamstown party.

You can find one when Drum ‘n Bass legend and local favourite, Niskerone comes back in town at the end of June to provide us with yet another night to remember.

As part of his current tour, Niskerone will be performing at Prime on Sunday, 30 June during the Grahamstown National Arts Festival. This isn’t the first time he’s performed during NAF and if the previous performances are anything to go by, we’re in for a great show.

It seems as if nobody emerges unscathed from a night out during Fest as Niskerone speaks of one particularly memorable performance he had here:

“I have played in Grahamstown around the Festival a few years back, and I had a lot of fun. Sibot once got me a little drunk before a set in Grahamstown and shoved a mic in my hand, convincing me to start talking to the audience,” he recalls. “This year I want to take things up a notch, go ape!”

For those of you who aren’t familiar with his music, Niskerone is a Cape Town resident, prolific DJ and Drum ‘n Bass pioneer who is known around the world for his energetic sets which never fail to please a crowd. Niskerone explains that the genre of Drum & Bass has always been a love of his and that he doesn’t see that love fading anytime soon.

“As far as electronic music goes, DnB is my first love. I do play and listen to a lot of other genres, but I can never not love Drum ‘n Bass” says Niskerone. “The fact that DnB sits in its own distinct tempo range, with its own unique signature, and is influenced by every other form of music around; it has helped it remain a constant feature for the last 20 years. Right now we are in a healthy place and I hope the scene continues to grow the way it has been.”

Besides his usual non-stop touring, taking him all over South Africa and abroad, Niskerone is also confirmed to play at Oppikoppi this year and will be in constant collaboration with long-time friend and fellow Cape Town native, DJ SFR, who he has just released a debut EP with.

“Working with SFR is amazing as it’s natural – we’ve been friends for over a decade and have an understanding that comes across well in the studio. We are pretty stoked with the response the EP got and also with the different parts of the world and music industry that gave it the thumbs up. It’s definitely inspired us to work even harder on the next batch of music” says Niskerone.

If for some unknown reason, you’ve never seen Niskerone live before or you were planning on going home rather than staying for fest, call your parents and tell them that you’ll be seeing them a little later than expected – because this is definitely a show that you don’t want to miss.

By Buntu Ngcuka

Exams are coming to an end and Grahamstown seems to be quieting down, but not for long. It’s the middle of June soon which means that the biggest annual event in Grahamstown is upon us – the highly anticipated National Arts Festival.

Branded as “11 days of amazing”, it’s exactly that.  It’s very easy to get lost and not know how to spend your days, especially if you’re a first time attendee. Here’s a quick,what-to-do guide, offering all thesalient locations and events that are likely to leave you with a Facebook album full of memories, a lighter wallet and some great experiences.

Village Green
During the day, our very own Great Field is transformed into a market: tents and wood chips on the ground included.  This is known as the Village Green and here you can find anything from homemade jewellery to leather backpacks and kudu rolls and carpets.

It’s a good place to spend quality time with your family but if you’d much rather be surrounded by your friends and an endless beer supply, then the beer tent at the Village Green is for you.

This is a popular hangout spot for Rhodents and both national and international visitors, especially on sunny afternoons.

Off-campus
If you don’t want to be anywhere near campus during the holiday, then you can make your way down to Church Square, which becomes a large flea market for the duration of the festival.  Here you can find leather jackets, mink blankets, bags, toys, beanies, homemade jewellery and more – all at bargain prices.

All that walking and shopping is sure to make you tired though, so why not give your feet a rest by sitting down and watching a play?  The critically acclaimed Panic, starring Siv Ngesi, is one of the most talked about plays in the country right now and it, along with WHATWHAT, starring Rob van Vuuren, will be on show at the Gynmasium and St. Andrew’s Hall respectively.

Some of our very own Rhodents will also be starring in a few plays: from Moor, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello; to the return of shows from last year, such as Tender. This play looks at South African life from various perspectives and interlinking sketches.

Music performances
If theatre isn’t your thing, you can catch living legends Gloria Bosman and Vusi Mahlasela as they perform at the DSG Hall on 5and 6 July, as well as Karen Zoid at the Smirnoff Music Room on the 4 July.  Hit making trio Mi Casa will also be performing at the Monument on 5 July.

And finally, what about how to finish off your nights?
Well, just because it’s not the middle of term, it doesn’t mean that you should abandon your favourite hangout spots.  The Rat, Friar’s, Olde 65, Monastery and Prime will still be open and will definitely be fuller, louder and more mare-friendly than ever.

For more information on the above gigs and many others, feel free to get your hands on the National Arts Festival programme here or visit the NAF website.

As rhino poaching in South Africa continues to escalate, Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa met with Carvalho Muaria, Mozambique’s Minister of Tourism on Friday 14 June in Maputo.

408 rhinos have been killed this year with an increase in poaching which will soon top the 2012 total of 668.

The price of rhino horn has overtaken the price of gold.

South Africa has 20 000 rhino remaining, and that equals 70 percent of the world’s population. Only 114 people have been arrested in connection with poaching, most in the Kruger National Park.

Poachers have been known to cross the border from Mozambique and it is hoped that the talks will bring an agreement between the countries to reduce the problem of the fence between the new trans-frontier park, which removed when the park was made larger.

China and Vietnam, which are the main destinations for rhino horn, have signed agreements with Molewa so far.

The African Rhino Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Species Survival Commission has said there could be one white rhino left in Mozambique and no black rhinos at all. They have also announced the extinction of the rhino population in Limpopo National Park.

The anonymous tip-off line to report poaching is 0800 205 005.

The time surrounding the end of June and early July is known famously to Grahamstownians and South Africans alike as the time of the highly anticipated National Arts Festival.

However, what many don’t know is that there’s a lesser known, but equally important event which takes place called The Fingo Festival, and they’re making things happen.

Activate caught up with two of the organisers of this fast rising event to find out a little more about it.

Taking place in Fingo Village throughout the duration of the National Arts Festival, Fingo Festival is a project devoted to bringing the community together and promoting social cohesion and transformation within the Fingo township and Grahamstown. It does this by using the platform of art – hosting workshops, dialogues and various activities and performances for both children and young individuals in Grahamstown.

One of the organisers of Fingo Festival, Xolile Madinda; talks about the events that take place each day and how there’s something for everyone during the festival.

“In the morning we have children’s programmes which will allow them to do things like face painting, children’s plays, storytelling, everything that has to do with a kid having fun so that we can make the National Arts Festival a time for children too, which means that they don’t have to go to all the shows with their parents” says Madinda, “Then in the afternoons, we have dialogues which allow for an open space for people to listen to talks and to discuss whatever is on their mind in a welcoming environment. Afterwards we’ll have live performances where you’ll find dance like hip hop and pantsula, live music like bands and drummers and there will also be things like freestyle rap and poetry.”

Bulelani Booi, another organiser and member of Fingo Festival speaks about how they chose to host the festival in a place like Fingo Village to show visiting fest goers as well as Grahamstown residents another side of Grahamstown that isn’t normally seen.

“We chose Fingo, because of the location, not because of any traditional association,” explains Booi. “We saw that during the National Arts Festival, most of the focus was situated in the CBD of Grahamstown and in and around the Rhodes University campus whilst other areas of Grahamstown like the surrounding townships weren’t being noticed. Residents of these townships and these areas are interested in participating in the festivities and showcasing their art and their talent, but they don’t have a platform or a point of access into the mainstream festival.”

By doing this, they hope to bring the National Arts Festival into areas of Grahamstown like Joza and Fingo Village, including those areas and the talent in the National Arts Festival. In providing a fun, creative and safe event like this, they aim to achieve a sense of community awakening or enlightenment within Grahamstown which will allow for a broader base for aspiring artists or performers and untapped talent as well as providing recognition for this talent and the areas in which it’s found.

On the topic of the culture found in Fingo that’s relatively unknown to most students here in Grahamstown, Madinda emphasises the importance of getting to know a culture that’s unknown to you and merging it with your own.

“Some of the things we do during the festival; like the dialogues, the kwaito, the pantsula; are representative of the culture in these communities and what’s happening is that these cultures aren’t known outside certain areas. We need to realise that these people, especially the youth in places like Fingo, are the future, our future and we need to get to know these people and what they’re about in order to move forward. That’s what we aim to do with Fingo Festival, is achieve that mix” says Madinda.

Fingo Festival relies on the engagement, charitable interest and participation of the community as a whole and calls on local businesses, aspiring musicians, artists, event organisers or marketers and anybody who’s interested in taking part in the festival.

“I wish the community wouldn’t wait for things like this to happen” adds Booi, “I wish that people would see the need for themselves and see that they should associate and initiate ideas and make manifest of all of their ideas and emotions and make things happen. That’s why our slogan reads ‘Be part of greatness’, we’re making things happen and we’re inviting you along to help.”

In a city so small, with such a large wellspring of talent and culture, it should be easy for us to bring every aspect of Grahamstown together and to achieve a social cohesion as Fingo Festival visualises. So if you’re an artist, performer, photographer, fest goer or simply someone interested in discovering your community, check out the Fingo Festival website, get in touch, and be part of greatness.

Nelson Mandela faces a fourth day in hospital, where he remains in intensive care. This comes two months after he was admitted in April for pneumonia.

The former president was admitted in the early hours of Saturday. This is Madiba’s fourth hospital stay in seven months. According to News24, he has had persistent lung problems since he was diagnosed with early-stage tuberculosis in 1988.

The Struggle icon is turning 95 next month and many South African citizens and the international community have expressed their concern, sending prayers and words of strength to the Mandela family.
Reports have said that Mandela is responding positively to treatment. Madiba’s wife, Grace Machel cancelled a trip to London to be at Madiba’s bedside.

“The truth of the matter is a simple one. Madiba is a fighter because at his age he is still fighting, He’ll be fine” presidency spokesperson Mac Maharaji told AFP.com.

“But I am told by the doctors that he is still breathing on his own so, I think that is a positive side,” he added.

Words Untame- Get Life or Die Living
Friday 14 June
Venue: Champs Action Bar
Entrance: R20
Time: 8:30pm

Ministry of Bass presents various DJs
Friday 14 June
Venue: Prime
Entrance: R30
Time: 9pm until late

Winter Relief Charity Gig: Various Acts
Saturday 15 June
Venue: Champs Action Bar
Entrance: R20 or a donation in the form of clothes, blankets or non-perishable foods.
Time: 6pm

Zebra & Giraffe Unplugged
Saturday 22 June
Venue: Music Kitchen (PE)
Entrance: R80
Time: 7:30pm

BLISS with Nicole Da Silva
Saturday 29 June
Venue: Prime
Entrance R30
Time: 9pm until late

Short & Sweet- Short-Film Screenings
Sunday 30 June until Friday 5 July
Venue: Prime
Entrance R30
Time: Doors open at 5pm. Film starts at 6pm

Tennis

Rafal Nadal made Tennis history when he won his 8th Roland Garros title on Sunday. Nadal beat fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in the final. Nadal was unstoppable – proving why he is indeed ‘the king of clay’.

This, Nadal’s 12th major trophy and 59th win from 60 matches played in Paris, he is also the first man to capture the same Grand Slam title eight times when he lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires. Previously Björn Borg was the first player to ever win the coveted title for four consecutive years, Nadal has now done it twice.

“Thanks to everyone in my family and team. Without their support, especially when I was out of action, this would have been impossible,” said Nadal after the match.

It was Ferrer’s first Grand Slam final had no answers on the court for the defending champion on the day, “I enjoyed the two weeks here. I congratulate Rafa, he’s the best,” said Ferrer.

Nadal, having come back from a seven month injury where he missed out on the Olympics and US open last year as well as this year’s Australian open, will savour this victory. “After all the problems we have had, this title is really special,” said Nadal’s coach and uncle Tony Nadal.

Tony explains what makes his nephew so special, “to win this is just incredible. Many people talk of his physique, his mentality, but his first quality is his touch. It’s a gift.”

Roland Garros marks the end of the clay court season where the players attention will shift to grass and Wimbledon with starts Monday 24 June 2013.

Serena Williams thundered past defending champion Maria Sharapova in straight sets, 6-4 6-4, to win her second Roland Garros title.

The 31 year old American became the oldest woman to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup since tennis turned professional in 1968 on Saturday.

Sharapova threw everything she had at Williams but the world no. 1 proved too powerful on the day, “I put up a fight today, but it was not enough,” said Sharapova.

Williams who first won in Paris 11 years ago addressed the crowd in French, “”After 11 years it’s incredible. Thank you to the crowd. I want to come back here and win again. I think I’m Parisienne.”

Rugby

The Springboks thrashed Italy 44-10 in an international test at Kings Park, Durban on Saturday.

South Africa managed to out-score Italy five tries to one in a both exciting but at times disappointing match. The Italians were left struggling and the boks too made a couple of sloppy handling errors. Springbok coach, Heyneke Meyer, should be satisfied with the convincing victory but will be cognisant that they still have a lot of work to do before their match against Scotland next week and Castle Rugby Championship in a few months’ time.

The unique, first of its kind, double header saw the Durban crowd treated to a record winning match by Samoa who beat Scotland 27-17  in the Castle Larger incoming tour series earlier in the evening.

Alesana Tuilagi, scored two tries for the Samoans and was awarded man of the match. The Scots put up a strong fight but the Samoans defensive physicality saw them through to victory.

Scotland may also be without Captain Kelly Brown, Euan Murray and Pat McArthur next week when they take on South Africa in Nelspruit who all sustained injuries during their match with the Pacific Islanders. Samoa will face Italy on the same day.

IRB Junior World Championship RESULTS – 9 June 2013

New Zealand 14 – 10 Australia

France  45 -3 USA

Ireland 46 – 3 Fiji

Wales   26 – 21   Scotland

South Africa 31 – 24 England

Argentina 28 – 16 Samoa

Cricket

South Africa will be looking erase the disappointment of their opening match against India at ICC champions trophy in England on Monday. The Protea’s lost by 26 runs to the current world cup holders in an under-whelming performance.

The Protea’s s are without key players like Jauques Kallis (who opted not to play the tournament) and Greame Smith who had to undergo treatment for an ankle injury, for the tournament.

Gary Kirsten’s men will face Pakistan on Monday in Birmingham in the second of their group matches. Dale Steyn who missed out against India due to injury looks set to only his return for their final group stage match against the West Indies in Cardiff on Friday. Morne Morkel who sustained a groin injury in the opening match has been ruled out of the tournament. South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris has been called into their Champions Trophy squad and looks set to make his one day international debut against Pakistan.

The match airs at 14:00 on Monday.

ICC Champions Trophy RESULTS:

07 – West Indies bt Pakistan by 2 wickets

08 – England bt Australia by 48 runs

09 – New Zealand bt Sri Lanka by 1 wicket

Football

Bafana Bafana keep their 2014 FIFA world cup qualification hopes alive with an impressive 3 – 0 victory against The Central African Republic in Yaoundé, Cameroon on Saturday.

First half goals from Bernard Parker (25′) and Siphiwe Tshabalala (42′) and the third coming from Katlego Mashego late in the match  (91′)sealed the victory for the South Africans.

Captain and goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune praised his team after the match, “three goals and a clean sheet, we could not have asked for anything better. We showed mental strength out there,” said Khune.

South Africa now trail group A leaders Ethiopia by just two points who they will face in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia next week.

Follow @Bridge_Hall

By Ashleigh Morris

Rafael Nadal secured his place in the Roland Garros final on Friday after beating Novak Djokovic  6-4 3-6 6-1 6-7(3) 9-7. This will be the eighth time the Spaniard will play in the Roland Garros final.

A close game, it looked like Djokovic would take his place in the final with a lead of 4-2 in the deciding game until a forehand error gave Nadal his first match point. A successive second slip up saw Djokovic’s hopes of making it to the final dashed

A game which was far from certain, Djokovic seemed to be finished at least three times, at one point after clutching his leg in the third set, yet each time he managed to come back, putting himself back in the game and testing Nadal until the very last set.

Nadal will meet either Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the final.

By Jane Berg

Cape Town became the third city on the African continent to host The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 69th Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport summit, between 2 to 4 June 2013.

Over 700 aviation leaders met to deliberate on a wide range of issues such as safety, environment impact and distribution. On the topic of climate change a resolution was passed to handle the industry’s carbon output though a single global market-based measure.

They argued for a mandatory carbon offset scheme as the most effective means of reducing aviation emissions. The hope is to achieve carbon-neutral growth in the industry.
The association claimed to be delivering “real emissions reductions, not revenue generation for governments”.

IATA director general and CEO, Tony Tyler, said, “It was difficult enough for the airlines, given the potential financial implications. Bridging the very different circumstances of fast-growing airlines in emerging markets and those in more mature markets required a flexible approach and mutual understanding. But sustainability is aviation’s licence to grow.”

This is not the first time the aviation industry has made sweeping gestures of support towards the climate change crisis. In 2006 Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson pledged approximately £1.6 billion to develop new energy technologies, primarily bio fuels.

Academics such as Fred Magdoff and J. B. Foster, have questioned the viability of achieving carbon neutrality along with continued industrial growth. They argue that while in theory cap and trade schemes are meant to promote carbon efficiency, they have not in fact effected carbon reduction in the areas it has been introduced.

In regards to carbon offsets Foster says, “There are no meaningful checks of the effectiveness of the ‘offsets’, nor prohibitions for changing conditions sometime later that will result in carbon dioxide release to the atmosphere.”

The assembly called on governments to support the implementation of the global market based measure.
“Now the ball is in the court of governments,” Tyler told the meeting. “This industry agreement should help to relieve the political gridlock on this important issue and give governments momentum and a set of tools as they continue their difficult deliberations.”